krorvik wrote:Norwegian office today reports the chute has been deployed @Ørland MAB for the first time: ...Sadly, their tinyurl was incorrect. Time may help us in getting the right one. Either way; i nagged them a little for it.

....nice photos and a question about the total added weight of the chute and deployment device?

"While the US Air Force is completing another round of cold-weather testing of the F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Norway completed a successful verification of the drag chute system at Ørland Air Force Base in Norway February 16th....

...Sheridan [Art Sheridan, Lockheed Martin Drag Chute System Program Manager] also noted that the first drag-chute deployment on an icy runway was accomplished on the same day by the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Eielson AFB, Alaska.

"On October 12th an F- 35A Lightning II landed at Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks, Alaska, to participate in testing several aspects of this fighter aircraft.

This test is intended to produce two major outcomes: certifying the Norwegian dragchute, and demonstrating that the entire fleet of F- 35As is capable of landing at a Runway Condition Reading (RCR) of 7.

The RCR scale is based on how wet and dry the runway is. An RCR of 23 is considered a dry runway, while an RCR of 5 is compared to landing on ice.

The F-35A is currently certified to land at an RCR of 12, and this test is important because it will help certify the F-35A to operate at an RCR of 7.

Testing drag parachuteSlippery runways and strong winds are not going to present an obstacle to the safe operation and landing of the F-35 aircraft. This is the objective of a specially developed drag chute, currently also being tested in Alaska.

The drag chute is completely indispensable for the Norwegian aircraft. Norwegian runways are relatively short, and the harsh climate makes for greatly varying landing conditions."

"While the US Air Force is completing another round of cold-weather testing of the F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Norway completed a successful verification of the drag chute system at Ørland Air Force Base in Norway February 16th....

...Sheridan [Art Sheridan, Lockheed Martin Drag Chute System Program Manager] also noted that the first drag-chute deployment on an icy runway was accomplished on the same day by the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Eielson AFB, Alaska.

"...The chute — unique to the Norwegian aircraft [dutchies are going to be annoyed] — is housed under a small fairing on the upper rear fuselage between the vertical tails. It is being added in order to rapidly decelerate Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35s after landing on the country’s icy runways when there are challenging wind conditions. Other country’s may adopt the system...."

I am going to MOAN AGAIN about LM PR not taking the opportunity to explain in more detail about the aircraft in posts.

How it works: F-35A Drag Chute System24 Feb 2018 LM PR

"...A team of experts from Lockheed Martin and the U.S., Norwegian and Dutch governments joined forces to develop the critical drag chute capability for the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) F-35As. The drag chute enables the RNoAF to safely and effectively land the aircraft on short, icy runways....

...The system is essentially designed to be easily installed and removed, much like a wing pylon. The pod contains the drag chute system that rapidly decelerates the aircraft after landing on a short or icy runway. It is specifically designed to minimize effect on aerodynamic drag and radar cross section to ensure the aircraft maintains performance and stealth characteristics while flying....

...To deploy the chute, the pilot flips a switch on the upper left of the instrument panel, activating hydraulic actuators that open the pod to release a Kevlar parachute. Once the aircraft is slowed sufficiently, the pilot flips the same switch down to release the drag chute as the aircraft comes to a stop.

The Future is Here…The F-35A drag chute is designed to be installed on all of Norway’s F-35As, and other countries have expressed interest in learning more about this useful feature. The Netherlands is also sharing in the development of this critical capability.

The drag chute has been in development since 2012. The system underwent initial wet- and dry-runway deployment testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California in 2017, and has nearly completed icy-runway testing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The drag chute is now being deployed at Ørland Air Base in Norway, after performing its first verification flight in mid-February 2018."

"IN-FLIGHT TESTING has cleared the full envelope for the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s (RNoAF’s) F-35A drag chute. TheF-35 Integrated Test Flight team at Edwards Air Force Base, California, recently completed in-air deployments of theparachute system, following cold-weather trials of the system at Eielson AFB, Alaska and at Ørland in Norway in February.

The drag chute is unique to RNoAF F-35As [Dutchies GOT IT ALSO] and is required for rapid deceleration on icy runways.

In-air tests on March 19 subjected the chute to the maximum amount of force by applying full afterburner “a few thousand feet” above the runway in level flight. However, heat from the afterburner slightly tore the chute and invalidated the test data. On March 28 the aircraft deployed the chute while conducting a dive and with the engineat idle to collect the required test points. Full certification of the system is due by the end of the year, pending final data review."

Just like how F-15s have been known to pop their barn door sized air brake to force an overshoot during a dogfight, the F-35 can now pop its drag chute out to slow it down during a dogfight!. Or cut it loose into the nose of an unexpecting bandit if it manages to get into a F-35’s six.